Conversation Starters: Mobile Devices
How many mobile devices do you own?
According to Smart Insights, the average number of connected devices per consumer is 3.64.
In recent years, many businesses report seeing more than fifty percent of website sessions being experienced through mobile devices. Many households contain a combination of smartphone, desktop and tablet devices.
Here are some interesting facts to share with your friends and associates regarding all your mobile devices.
1. History of the Mobile Phone
Martin Cooper of Motorola made the first publicized handheld mobile phone call on a prototype DynaTAC model on 3 April 1973.
In 1983 Motorola started selling DynaTAC 8000X. It was the first commercial portable cellular telephone. How much did it cost consumers? $3,995!
The history of the mobile phone goes all the way back to 1908 when a US Patent was issued for a wireless phone in Kentucky. In the 1940s, AT&T engineers developed cells for mobile phone base stations.
Other landmarks in mobile phone history include the world’s first text message being sent in the UK in 1992, emojis being invented by Shigetaka Kurita in Japan in 1999, and the iPhone making its debut in 2007.
2. First Computer
The world’s first mechanical computer was created by Charles Babbage in 1822. A mechanical computer in technical terms refers to a device that’s built from components like levers and gears, which doesn't really resemble most modern computers.
A computer called the Z1 was created by German Konrad Zuse between 1936 and 1938. The Z1 is considered to be the first functional modern computer.
Electronic Controls Company was founded in 1949 and considered to be the world’s first computer company. As for the first computer with a memory stored program, the ERA 1101 or UNIVAC 1101 was the first computer to be able to do so and was delivered to the American government in 1950.
IBM publicly introduced the 701 in 1952, the company’s first commercial scientific computer. The first desktop computer was revealed to the public in 1964 at the New York World’ Fair. About 44,000 computers were sold for $3,200 each.
Hewlett Parkard marketed the HP 9100A in 1968, considered to be the globe’s first desktop mass-marketed computer. In 1975, IBM released the first laptop. It weighed 55 pounds and had 64 KB of RAM. In 1994, IBM introduced the first notebook which came with an integrated CD-ROM.
As you can see, the modern computer as we know it has a long history.
3. Internet’s Origins
As for the internet, the first workable version of it came about in the late 1960s with ARPANET, also known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network.In 1983, researchers began assembling the “network of networks” which would eventually become the Internet in modern times.
In 1990, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web which is the online world that we recognize today. In 2004, Tim Berners-Lee was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. He also received the inaugural Millennium Technology Prize from the Finnish Technology Award Foundation.
4. Phone Stats
In more bizarre but true facts, more people in the world have access to a cell phone than a toilet.
In 2014, 2.5 billion people around the world lacked access to improved sanitation facilities. In contrast, six billion of the world’s seven billion people have mobile phones.
94% of all Americans own a cell phone, and most people check their phone about 50 times daily. 68% of cell phone users report having their phone close to them while sleeping.
A whopping 6 million text messages are sent out daily, which is more than twice the population of Los Angeles, California.
As for tapping and swiping? The average user taps, swipes, and clicks their phone over 2,500 times per day.
85% of smartphone users check their devices while speaking with friends and family. Think about what effect this has on the quality of your conversations. Is it because everyone finds their phones more interesting than the people they’re gathered with?
Our podcast Optimal Relationships Daily runs several episodes that cover the topic of limiting your reliance on digital devices to make room for better conversations. For example, Episode 489 narrates Joshua Becker’s post on limiting your child’s screen time to prepare them to engage in more meaningful, in-depth conversations as they get older.
5. Smartphone Addiction Stats
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and other elites in the technology sector consistently revealed in interviews that Silicon Valley parents are strict about technology use.
This should come as a red flag to the rest of us when it comes to smartphone addiction.
Studies have found that a fourteen year-old’s risk for depression increases by 27% when she or he is a frequent user of social media. As for kids who use their phones for an average of three hours daily, they’re more likely to be suicidal.
According to addiction expert and therapist Paul Hokemeyer, the reason why smartphones are so addictive is because using them triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin. These are the “feel good chemicals” within our minds that give us the rush of instant gratification the same way that an addictive substance would.
Simple ways to curb a smartphone addiction include:
- Making an effort to speak to people face to face rather than through your phone.
- Finding other ways to reduce your boredom or daily stress. Exercising or cooking a healthy meal are great places to start.
- Limit times for using your device. You could try banning it from your bedroom and banning it from your mealtimes.
- Not allowing it to interfere with a good night’s rest. Try turning your phone off at night and using a digital alarm clock if you need to wake up at a certain time.
References:
Wikipedia: Motorola, NetProLive, uSwitch, ComputerHope
History, Britannica, US News, BankMyCell, Mobile Coach
